Ad commission to consider filling three positions

Pedestrians walk near the Hot Springs Convention Center's Bank OZK Arena on Wednesday, April 28. - Photo by Richard Rasmussen of The Sentinel-Record
Pedestrians walk near the Hot Springs Convention Center's Bank OZK Arena on Wednesday, April 28. - Photo by Richard Rasmussen of The Sentinel-Record

The Hot Springs Advertising and Promotion Commission will consider reappointing two sitting members and appointing one new member to fill an open seat during its regular monthly meeting today.

The commission will meet at 3 p.m. today in the Arlington Room of the Hot Springs Convention Center.

Up for consideration will be Position 5, held by Wayne Smith, the general manager of Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort, who has asked to be reappointed; Position 7, an at-large position held by Elizabeth Farris, who has also been asked to be reappointed; and Position 3, an unexpired term previously held by Paul Lynch, who resigned after moving to Colorado.

The sole applicant for Position 3 was investment adviser Robert Zunick, a hotel and restaurant owner and developer whose properties include The Waters Hotel, The Avenue and The Rooftop.

Zunick is the husband of Mary Zunick, Visit Hot Springs' cultural affairs manager. Zunick disclosed the relationship on his application for the position.

There were no other applications for any of the three positions. The deadline to submit an application was noon Aug. 9.

If approved, all three appointments must also be approved by the Hot Springs Board of Directors.

Zunick's term would expire on Dec. 31, 2022, and the terms of Smith and Farris would each expire on Dec. 31, 2025.

The Dec. 31 dates are of note because of a recent shift in term periods for all commissioners that are outlined in a memo from Leysa Lowery, human resources director for Visit Hot Springs, that is included in the agenda packet for today's meeting.

Oftentimes, commissioners have been appointed to fill unexpired terms for vacated seats, such as in the case of Position 3 up for consideration today, which shifted the ending dates of those terms, according to Lowery's memo.

"The result is that periods set for the terms are not following the City Code for those commissioner positions," she said in the memo.

After speaking to City Clerk Harmony Morrissey, Lowery said it was decided the remedy would be to have all commissioners' terms expire on Dec. 31, which means "adjusting" the terms of all current members of the commission, plus the three new members.

As a result, the memo said the terms of the other four members of the commission would now be as follows: Position 1, City Director Erin Holliday, Dec. 31, 2024; Position 2, City Director Elaine Jones, Dec. 31, 2022; Position 4, restaurateur Anthony Valinoti, Dec. 31, 2024; and Position 6, restaurateur Chris Dunkel, Dec. 31, 2023.

Today's agenda also includes the selection of a commission chairman and vice chairman; approval of the 2020 audit; and approval of a change in the dress code in the employee handbook related to the tattoo policy.

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